Muhammad Aulia, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission, or KPK, on Monday showed a pile of bank notes worth at least Rp 82 billion ($5.4 million) in various currencies confiscated from disgraced Papua Governor Lukas Enembe, who is being tried for alleged corruption.

The move to present the banknotes in a news conference at the KPK headquarters in Jakarta came after the commission added money laundering charges to the ongoing corruption investigation against Lukas, who has repeatedly demanded release citing health reasons.

The bank notes comprise Rp 81,628,693.000, Sin$26,300 and US$5,100.

"In our efforts to optimize the recovery of state assets from the money laundering crime, the KPK again seized assets [from Lukas]," KPK Deputy Chairman Alexander Marwata told the conference.

It was not clear how Lukas laundered the money.

He is currently on trial for a separate graft case and the panel of judges at the South Jakarta District Court rejected his preliminary defense earlier in the day, meaning that the trial will proceed with cross-examinations of witnesses.

In the ongoing trial, Lukas has been indicted of accepting more than Rp 46.8 billion in bribes.

Alexander said Lukas has allegedly used money from the provincial government budget to play casino games in other countries.

"Most of the money he used in gambling has been illegally taken from the provincial budget," Alexander said.

Lukas was arrested in January after a months-long standoff with his supporters protecting him from the arrest by the KPK.

The Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center revealed earlier that Lukas has made payments totaling 55 million Singapore dollars (US$39 million) to overseas casinos since 2017 after they analyzed the governor's financial records at the request of the KPK.

At one point, Lukas spent 5 million Singapore dollars in a single casino payment, according to the PPATK.

Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/kpk-shows-rp-82b-cash-recovered-from-lukas-enembe-graft-cas